Escaping the Busy Trap: Rethinking Work-Life Priorities

Escaping the Busy Trap: Rethinking Work-Life Priorities

“I’d love to, but…” “I wish I could…” “One day, I’d like to…”

How often have these phrases slipped off your tongue? Whether it’s a yearning to hit the gym more, pen that book you’ve always dreamt of, or pursue any aspirational goal , there’s a colossal barrier we all face: being perpetually busy.

So what’s the harm in being busy? Isn’t that a mark of productivity and ambition?

But this state of manic busy-ness can, at worst, lead to burnout, where you’re ultimately compelled to stop, take a break, and re-evaluate your priorities . At best, you’ll keep ploughing through tasks, reacting to immediate demands, and missing the bigger picture of what’s important.

On a personal level, the busy trap manifests as neglected fitness routines or hobbies, missed cherished family moments, or a constant, nagging sensation of being elsewhere. Professionally, you’ll be tackling the immediate tasks at hand, reacting to what’s being thrown at you, and sidelining critical aspects like personal development, strategic thought, and improvement initiatives.

Arguably, this phenomenon arises from a cultural glorification of busyness (recall Bridget Jones’s iconic line: “Shut up, please. I’m very busy and important.”). Over-collaboration through incessant meetings and emails, coupled with unrealistic expectations of immediate response, contributes to this. Add to that our complex lives balancing work priorities , family responsibilities, household chores, and the ever-looming ‘life admin’.

So, what is the way out of this busy trap, given that ‘more time’ is a mythical commodity?

It certainly isn’t another training programme, a new project management tool, or the latest productivity hack. These will only add to an already overflowing plate.

What you need is capacity – room to breathe.

This requires intentional pausing. Embrace the power of ‘no’, or at least ‘maybe’, or ‘yes, but…’. Guard your calendar zealously; an empty slot is a magnet for more tasks. Disconnect from the digital world occasionally. Seek refuge from external distractions.

Next time you catch yourself lamenting, “I’m just so busy…”, pause. Inhale. Reflect: Are you genuinely that busy? Is the activity you’re postponing less critical than what you’re currently prioritising? What are the potential repercussions?

I invite you to join the conversation on the busy trap. How can we shift our thinking and change our behaviour ? What is a more meaningful way of looking at ‘productivity’? And how can we balance the endless demands on our time, on the one hand, with the unfortunately finite quantities of our time that we have available, on the other?

Looking forward to your thoughts.

_____

Anna Lundberg is an executive coach and trainer who works with high-achieving individuals and high-performance organisations looking to balance the demands of productivity and wellbeing in the modern workplace.

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I changed internally from a well familiar job to something new which I was able to learn with a splendid mentor. Given the fact that our team was far too small but unable to recruit, no pace was fast enough and I was made hustling for almost two years. Nobody really cared about my mental and physical wellbeing and we should learn that even companies who claim to, won't. Especially in remote setting. I thought it will be better soon, when I try harder. Unfortunately dropping boundaries, constant availability, being burdenend with more and more work was only meant to break me. Now I am taking a step back doing things just for me before reconsidering what should be my professional future elsewhere. It costs me a lot because I am an enneagram achiever, always 110% behind my work. The past experience taught me it is not worth it. We are just numbers.

Sabrina Assaraf

"Il n'y a pas de coincidences, que des rendez-vous" - @kimosabiworld Entrepreneur & Founder of K I M O S A B I _ Ex P&G

10 个月

Interesting topic Anna!! I could talk about it for hours. I left my 9-5 job to accomplish the dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Now I work days, and nights! I could work round the clock if nothing stops me. Luckily, i have a family to care for - and if I don’t care for myself, i won’t be able to care for them. Plus, i need to set an example. Work life balance is/was always a goal, and there are hacks (pining sports in your calendar for example) - but it is a constant effort. It requires discipline & will. To your point, we need to start shaming tireless work instead of glorifying it. It’s the notion of time that gets us, ie how quickly we become ?successful??. Or maybe it’s the notion of success that we need redefine…

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